What is the Spiral Approach?
This method of teaching spreads a subject out over a period of time, giving the student bits of information at each time.
So, instead of presenting the student with many facts and details to learn, memorize, and hopefully understand in one or two lessons, they’re given basic facts, first. That’s it.
In a subsequent lesson, they’re given another set of ‘building blocks’ to add to these basic facts. And, another lesson with another set of ‘building blocks’.
Why do I like this model?
This model works well with cross-curriculum teaching/learning!
When given too much information at once, students are more likely to remember very little!
Let’s liken it to eating a meal.
If you eat everything on your place – at once – and add to it in a hurry, you seldom remember what part of the meal actually tasted delicious or didn’t.
If you partake of a meal, bite by bite, you get to savour the ingredients. Taste that hint of cinnamon, coriander, or rosemary. The texture of the ingredient lingers longer and may even draw a connection to a prior meal you enjoyed. You find that the selected starch was a perfect match for the grilled fish. The flavouring in the dessert that followed heightened the savour still residing on your tongue. Your tastebuds are beyond delighted and your brain sends good feelings throughout your body!
The chain reaction of this delectable meal now overlaps into other areas beyond your mouth.
This is how spiral approach teaching works, particularly with cross-curriculum teaching/learning.
One set of facts from one subject can be used and built upon in another subject. Thus, reinforcement of these ‘small groups of building block facts’ are strengthened.
I recall teaching primary one (kindergarten) students the tally system. It was an introductory lesson. I kept it brief and moved on to other subject matters, the latter of them involved an outdoor activity. One by one, the children, on their own, found the tally system in nature! I was called upon to see how they created tally numbers using grass blades and twigs.
A sign of brilliance? Or, a sign of teaching differently so more children learned and understood what was being taught?
Remember – oftentimes, less is indeed more.
Let’s continue to invest in our children as whole beings – fueling their mind, body, and spirit.
Let’s do this!
Chat soon,
~Tamika
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